White's Good List Might Expand

Brandon Huffman

08/27/2008

Lester White, the 6-2, 210-pound safety prospect from Riverside (Calif.) North, has scholarship offers from the Pac-10, the Big 12 and more, and there are other schools threatening to join his list of programs that have offered him...

Riverside (Calif.) J.W. North safety Lester White (6-2, 205) is still standing on the same eight scholarship offers he had when summer started, but White has been getting good dialogue and positive feedback from college coaches.

"There have been a couple of schools that have told me they are going to be watching my first three games, and they want my film after. And if it all looks good, they could be offering," said White.

What's encouraged White is that it's the two Southern California schools, a pair of programs that he's grown up watching.

"UCLA and USC have been talking about it a lot," said White. "Coach (Rocky) Seto and Coach (David) Watson at USC have been the ones I've talked with the most there. At UCLA, Coach (Wayne) Moses has been recruiting me and talking with me. I'm going to the UCLA-Tennessee game next week, too."

The two Southland programs currently are in his top seven schools, but not in his top five, since, for White, only schools that have offered him get that distinction.

When it comes to his projected position, all of the programs recruiting him seem to be on the same page. White said he's up to 210 pounds, and he stands 6-2, and some observers think he could eventually grow into a weakside ‘backer, but White wants none of that.

"I can still hit people and cover playing safety and that's what coaches want me to be able to do," said White. "All of the college coaches want me as a safety."

While he can't name a favorite just yet, It's not too early for White to start thinking about which schools he wants to visit. "I know I want to visit Nebraska, Arizona State and Oregon," said White. "I've talked with the coaches and we're going to try and set up an official visit to them."

White said that he's doing all the work necessary in the classroom, having sent off transcripts to USC and UCLA to get the ball rolling. But as much as he wants an offer from the two Southland schools, he admitted it wouldn't give them a leg up.

"It's nice that they're both close to home and I'd like to play close by," said White. "But I'm going to consider them just like everyone else and not let that factor."

During his junior season, White had 84 tackles and five interceptions and ran for over 650 yards with 12 touchdowns. His senior year, he'll be the primary ball-carrier for North, taking over for San Diego State-bound Cedric Foster. They open the season in September against Redlands East Valley.

Academically, he has a 2.7 core GPA and will take the SAT for the first time in October.